Britons get behind London 2012 legacy pledge

As a nation, we enjoyed a successful and memorable London 2012 Olympic Games and are now enjoying the start of the Paralympic Games. As London 2012 draws to a close, many will be asking what will be left for future generations to enjoy. Following the years of hard work and investment by Great Britain to put on the show that we have, it is now time to think about the future and the benefits of the Olympic Legacy.

To gain better insight into exactly what the British public expect in terms of legacy, we conducted a survey to ask what is important to them personally. The results revealed that over half of Britons surveyed (62%) believe that the Games will benefit UK business in the long term and create a lasting legacy for the country. An impressive 60% of those surveyed also confirmed that they believe the Games may help to improve technology and innovation in the UK, inspiring entrepreneurship within the sector and helping to build a brilliant future for Britain and industry moving forward.

Key Statistics

49% of those surveyed believe the London 2012 Olympics could help inspire the next generation to study STEM subjects

57% believed that Olympic corporate sponsors’ should play an integral role in maintaining the legacy of London 2012

In 2011 nearly half (41%) of those surveyed believed that London 2012 could improve tourism, by July 2012 this has increased to 61%

A quarter (25%) of those surveyed in 2011 believed that the Games would help promote grass-roots sports – in July 2012 this has risen to 40% in 2012

In 2011, 24% believed the Games would enhance community spirit but by July 2012 this has increased to 49%

Although 76% of those surveyed admitted that they were not originally aware of the five Olympic Legacy Promises made by the UK Government in 2007, when presented with the details, all had a clear idea on the promises which meant the most to them now.

40% said the Government’s promise to ‘Inspire a generation of young people to take part in local volunteering, cultural, and physical activity’ was the most important

The promise to ‘Demonstrate that the UK is a creative, inclusive and welcoming place to live in, visit and for business’ came second with 26%

The promise to ‘Transform the heart of the East End’ was deemed the most important by 13%

‘Making the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living’ was chosen by 12%

9% believed the most important promise was to ‘Make the UK a world-leading sporting nation’

These results are great news for Cisco as they support our own legacy plans. As a supporter of London 2012, Cisco has been working on a series of initiatives to help benefit the country in the long term, by inspiring the youth of today to become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

In partnership with STEMNet, we have been working to enable young people all over the UK to take their first steps towards realising a career in technology and new media, and our Networking Academy program aims to help improve education and career opportunities in communities around the world. Not forgetting the British Innovation Gateway (BIG) programme, endorsed by the UK Government, which supports hi-tech business and innovation by bringing together start-ups, businesspeople, investors, technologists and innovation experts. We at Cisco have been working hard to create a lasting legacy for the UK and to help build a brilliant future for the younger generations.

London 2012 is just the start of a bright future for Great Britain and the close of the games will be the starting pistol for our legacy.

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